Belt buckle



June 30, 1931. D.IM. WIRTH 1,311,990

BELT BUCKLE Filed July 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '77)? 4' Invenlor .a dimfi'h I A ltomcy D. M. WIRTH June 30, 1-931.

BELT BUCKLE Filed July 7, 1930 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 W 456 v r i 11 m I Invenlor Allorney Patented June 30, 1931 ML, WIR'IH, F BULOYRUS, OHIO 1mm Bucxma' Application filedluly '2', 19.3.0. Serial No. 466,245;

This invention relates to expanding buckles such as belt buckles in which a yield.- ing resilient spring member is incorporated so as to be interposed between one endot the of the belt is automatically and continously accommodated to the movements of-the-wear er thereof; thereby promoting his comfort in an. obvious manner without in any waysacrificing the garment supporting qualities of the belt.

It is the obj ectof this invention to-provide abuckle of thisrtypewhich may be conveniently andquickly associated with a belt of anyconventiona type or with any strap or other like securing or suspending means.

. Th'ese and other objects'of the invention, its nature, and arrangementand combination 7 of parts will be readily understood by any -"lg .one acquainted with the art to: which this invention relates upon reading the following description of the'drawings in whichz Figure l is aback view of the preferred embodiment of my invention disclosing the :au'manner-of attachment to a belt.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line-22 of Figure 1. l Figure 3 is apcrspective view oi one form of one of the parts of the belt connector. assembly referred to herein" as. the yoke. Figure at isa perspective View ot a. preferred'formiof one of the parts of the belt connector assembly referred t'o herein as. the beltcomiectorloop.

Figure 5 is a back view'similar to Figure 1 of another" embodiment of my invention.

Figures 6 and'8 are further modifications. Figure 7 is a form of link and jaw carrier employed in the form of the invention illustrated in Figure ti- Figure Qis a; perspective view of one'form of a" combined-yoke and belt "engaging jaw such as is employed in the embodiment. ofthe invention illustratedin Figure 8.

Referring'in detailtothe drawings it will beobserved that all the illustrated forms of my invention have in common a buckle body designated either'12, or-lQa, 12b-and 120,.an'd abelt connector assembly consisting of the -50 closed loop 5 carrying on its. logs the coiled bolt. and the buckle bod-y whereby the girth spring 6, andtheyoke designated 10., or 10a, or 159, which; connector assembly ispivotally connected to the buckle body in each form? 0.1? 0O11IS6,.tl1G-TSp86lfiC difierenceswill be evi dent as the description of each form is herein set. out.

Referring'to. the form of my invention in Figure 1 it: will be seen that the numeral12c designates a buckle body of suitable form such. as. generally rectangular having in .60

turnedflangcs; on oppositesides. having inwardly directed. ears. constituting. journal mountings. In this figure the-belt. connector assembly consists of the jaw carrying link '22,: the yoke 1064. being pivoted at its ends. at

6.5 16a to: the arms22aofthc link, the linkin turn havingpivots 23. journaledin the above mentioned journal mountings, of the, buckle body. Theclosed loop 5. carries on its legs the. compression spring 6.. The belt. end is passed through the. closed loop. or fastened, to one end thereof in any suitable. manner, and

the loop, being. slidable. in the ,bight. portion of the yoke lIl hOlGS 11, and. the. loop being movable against. the pressure; of the spring 6., the belt is yieldingly andresiliently connected to. the buckle body. The. link 22 car ries on. itsundcr face a. belt. engagingj aw 24: similar tothat shown at 2,0 in Figure 9 whereby the free. end of the associated beltis. adjustably retained byv clamping it betweenthc jaw and the underside of the buckle. body. The link22 consists of the generally rectangular body portion. 2% from one longitudinalside ofwhich extendangularly andoppo- .sitely a pair of arms having the terminals. 22a

forming journals for pins 16a. whichpivotally connect. the ends of the legs of the yoke 10a thereto. The yokc,.as evident. inthe. drawings, consistsofa bar preferably rightangularly bent intothe formof a U provided'with a. pair of holesl1 in. its bight portion for slid-ably acconnnodatingthe le s of the closed loop-5; as explained-above. T lie. closed loop 5; may bea bar or Wire bent into the form of i a U- in which the bight portionis semi-circular,.and has the free end-s of the legs. directed outwardly and then inwardly to formv the I v bends designated .9 and straightenedto come into. end to end; abuttingv relation at. right angles to the sides or legs. The permanently attachable belt end is secured upon the portion of the loop remote from the semi-circular bight portion and the belt and loop are pret erably so proportioned that the side edges of the belt may extend over and be retained by the bends 9. As above stated, the legs of the loop 5 slide in holes 11 in the bight portion of the yoke. and a helical spring 6 circumposed on the legs and bight portion of the closed loop has its ends abutted against the inward side of the bight portion of the yoke so that movement of the loop in the direction of pull of the belt is yieldingly resisted by the spring and the loop is retracted whenever the pull on the belt is not being exerted.

Referring to Figure 5 a modification of the structure of Figure 1 is illustrated. Comparison of Figures 5 and 1 will disclose that the forms of Figures 5 and 1 differ only in the fact the ends of the yoke 10 in Figure 5 are pivoted to the buckle body 12 through the agency of a bar 14. the ends of which extend outwardly beyond the yoke ends to function as pivots journaled in the cars of the buckle body. Mounted on the bar 14 is a belt gripping jaw similar to that designated 20 and 24. The form illustrated in Figure 8 differs from the form illustrated in Figure 5 only by the construction of the yoke and method of mounting the belt gripping jaw. In the form of Figure 8, there is formed in one piece of relatively heavy material the yoke proper and the jaw 20 as particularly clearly shown in Figure 9. The ends of the jaw portion 20 are provided with the pivots 21 for journalling in the buckle body. s

The form of the invention shown in Figure 6 is very similar to that shown in Figure 1. In fact, the only distinguishing difference of Figure 6 is in the structure of its link and its jaw member. The link and jaw of Figure 1. are preferably an integral casting whereas the link and aw of Figure 6 may be adequately formed by stamping or by stamping and welding or brazing. It is to be understood however, that these recommendations are not made in the sense of limitations engaging jaw of the general type designated at 24 in the drawings is mounted. A curvate cross member 18 is rigidly secured to the sides 16. The bar 14a may be placed in position in holes 17 on the said pair of ends and so]- dered or brazed therein so as to form a rigid association. The jaw may be mounted by similarly soldering, brazing or welding or may be associated with the link in any way found desirable and practical.

The ends of the side bars remote from the holes 17 are slightly angularly bent outwardly and then returned into parallelism as at 16?). On the edges of portions 16?) and on the same edges to which the cross member or saddle 18 is at tached there is formed a pair of oppositely and inwardly directed lugs 16a which are adapted to engage in the holes 13 in the ends of the legs of the yoke 10a and function as pivots.

It is believed that the above descriptions and the drawings make clear the nature of my invention and the manner of making and using the same.

It is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of this invention to the particular modification set out herein to illustrate the principles thereof, and changes may be made in material or structure or arrangements of parts consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention. I claim:

1. A belt buckle of the class described comprising a buckle body, and an expanding belt connector assembly pivotally connected to said buckle body, said belt connector assembly comprising a yoke, means pivotally connecting said yoke to the buckle body, an elongated belt connector slidably carried by the yoke, a belt connecting portion at one end of H the connector and a spring on the connector and reacting against the other end of the connector and the bight portion of the yoke for yieldably resisting opposite relative longitudinal movement of the connector and yoke, and a belt engaging jaw carried by said assembly for cooperating with said buckle body ior adjustably retaining the free end of the elt.

2. An automatic spring operated belt buckle comprising a loop adapted to be attached to one end of a belt, a compressible and expanding spring on said loop, a U- shaped yoke having its bight portion mounted on said loop and engaging said spring, the

ends of said U-shaped yoke being formed with holes, a rod disposed transversely of said U-shaped yoke in said holes and projecting beyond each side thereof, a buckle body having flanges pivotally receiving the projecting ends of said rod, and a belt engaging jaw mounted between said flanges for co-operating with said body to clamp an end of the belt.

3. An expanding belt buckle structure comprising an elongated loopv connected at one end to an end of a belt, a spiral compression spring on said loop, a U-shaped yoke having holes in its bight to receive the side members of said loop, said U-shaped yoke adapted to slide on said side members of the loop against the resistance of said spring,'the ends of said U-shaped yoke being provided with holes, a buckle body, a connecting link pivoted between the tree ends of said U-shaped yoke and said buckle body comprising a pair of parallel legs having at one end inwardly turned hooks to engage pivotally in the holes on the ends of the U-shaped yoke and at the other ends holes, a bar in said holes having its ends extending beyond the sides of the legs journaled in said buckle body, a saddle portion connecting and spacing said parallel legs, and a belt engaging jaw mounted to cooperate with the buckle body to clamp an end of the belt.

4. A belt buckle of the class described comprising an elongated loop adapted to be connected at one end to .a belt, a compression spring of spiral form disposed on said loop, a yoke having holes in one portion thereof to slidably accommodate the sides of said loop and permit said yoke to slide longitudinally on the loop against the resistance of the spring, the yoke including a fixed transverse bar having at one lateral face a belt engaging jaw which has projecting at its ends pivot lugs, and a buckle body receiving said pivot lugs and adapted to cooperate with said belt engaging j aw to hold a portion of the belt.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DORSEY M. WIRTH. 

